When you own a car, it’s important to know how to take good care of it to ensure that your vehicle will last for years to come. Caring for your car’s exterior is essential to protecting and preserving the metal body and framework of your car. Perhaps some of the worst types of exterior car care problems you may come across include squashed bugs, tar, or tree sap. In this article, we will give you some great tips on removing such tough stains from your car’s exterior.

Understanding the problem

To effectively deal with tar, sap, and other tough stains, it’s essential that you first understand why it’s so difficult to remove these stains. Basically, the main problem with insect remains, tar, and sap is that they are sticky substances that can seep into your paint and harden, making it difficult to remove with a regular car wash.

On-the-spot methods

If you spot a bad stain on your car that is still rather fresh, you can try removing it with a 100% cotton or microfiber towel. Apply some cooking oil or grease onto the stain to loosen it up and then try wiping it in a circular motion.

Full treatment

To make sure that you will really get rid of stubborn bug, tar, or sap stains, you will have to give your car full treatment with auto detailing products. Find a well-known and well-respected auto detailing spray that is specifically made for removing bug, tar, or sap contaminants. This spray is especially formulated to loosen up hardened or sticky contaminants, helping them to get wiped off easily. Follow the instructions to remove the stain.

Protecting your car

Finally, protect your vehicle by polishing and waxing the paint. This will help prevent stubborn contaminants from sticking, seeping in, and hardening on your paint job.